I drop to my knees in front of her. Her scent invades my senses and makes me high. I look up checking once more to make sure she's okay and in the moment with me. Her open mouth and hooded eyes spur me on.

With her hips in my hands, my lips tease her lower abdomen. First I dot quick, gentle kisses around her belly button. Her fingers twine in my hair and pull. Finally. I'm on the right track. On the second go around I expand the surface area of my oral assault, opening my mouth and adding my tongue to lick and brush against her skin. Her breaths are coming faster, deeper.

"Cooper," she calls out in her "fuck me" voice. The voice my cock has been waiting to hear. Feeling my own need and desire bringing me to the edge, I nip at her gently from time to time, causing her to whimper.

With her panties still on, I reach between her legs and press my fingers slightly inside. Fuck she's wet. I want to tear these off, but I refrain. I need to hold back and make sure this is good for her.

"Cooper, please!"

I give in to her request and pull her panties down. I stop again and look back up at her. She's leaning her hands back on the counter, holding on, using it for support. Her heaving chest is calling out to me, but that's not the part of her body that needs my immediate attention.

"Do you like that baby?" I ask sliding my fingers over her wetness and plunging them inside her.

"Yes."

With our eyes locked, I pull my fingers out and bring them up to my mouth. I close my eyes as I suck on them, tasting her for the first time. "You taste so good." Again I slip my fingers inside her, thrusting them in and out a few times before I stand and bring them to her lips.

"Taste how sweet you are." I offer her my fingers. Holding my hand, she slides her magical tongue up and down, licking every inch of them.

I don't think I've ever been this hard. Or this turned on. Every time I up my game, she falls into step right beside me. My cock is throbbing with need. Her body is covered with a thin sheen of sweat and mine is building one up, too. As much as I want to revel in her and prolong the experience, I need more. I need all of her. I lift Selene onto the edge of the counter.

"Yes, Cooper. Fuck me." It's a plea, and I'm not ready to put her out of her misery.

"No, baby. Not yet."

I push her legs apart and bring my mouth to the apex of her thighs. My tongue slips between her folds and circles around her clitoris. She's intoxicating. Why haven't I done this before?

She tries to pull back, away, but I don't let her. I keep my mouth where it is and kiss her with every ounce of passion I feel for her. I rub my fingers around her opening. She's moaning and squirming, I know she's close.

I let my fingers plunge inside her and pump them in and out, fast and hard. Her clit hardens even further beneath my tongue, her whole body stiffens. I know she's there. I don't let up. I move faster, harder, very gently taking her clit between my teeth as she cries out through her orgasm.

Once she calms, I get to my feet and pull her head against me. I hold her, and kiss her, hoping she can feel all the things I wish I could say. Who needs words and cliché phrases when we have this?

"You asked me once when we were having sex why I didn't want you to touch me. It's the same reason I've never done that before. I've had intimacy issues." I smoothe her hair. "Not with you. Not anymore. The way we made love in Italy. I don't ever not want to feel your hands all over me."

After a long silence of holding each other close, she finally speaks. "I don't trust you to stay."

I nod. "I wouldn't either. But you didn't trust me at all, and here we are. Still together."

"Are we?"

"Unless you've moved on." I hold my  breath.

Selene pushes out of my arms and rushes to put her clothes back on. A sick feeling gathers in the bottom of my stomach. She doesn't have to say it. There's someone else. Mat-fucking-teo. I want to die.

"Does he love you the way I do?"

She shakes her head. "No. And I don't love him."

My head is spinning. "Then why?" This can't be happening.

"He's offered up an arrangement."

"What fucking arrangement?" I'm wishing I did punch him in his smug face. That's why he left the way he did, he thought he had the upper hand.

"It's the same arrangement my parents have."

"You never mentioned this."

She shrugs. "It never came up, and it wasn't what I wanted. Not from you."

"Tell me." I order.

"We'll live together so we split the cost of daily living. It'll help us both, but we won't get married. That way I'll be eligible for food-stamps and free medical, but he'll help me with the baby. His name will go on the birth certificate. He'll be the father for all intents and purposes."

"You said I'm the father."

"And you said you didn't want it."

"Is he willing to offer you love and marriage?" Why am I asking? Okay, so I'm just starting to believe in love, but marriage? No way.

"Are you?"

"Answer the question."

"It doesn't matter. I don't feel that way about him."

Thank fucking goodness.

"And how do you feel about me?"

"Confused."

I nod and close in on her. Confused is better than nothing. I take her by the shoulders forcing her to look at me. "You didn't seem confused five minutes ago when you were cumming in my mouth."

She looks away. Oh no. I'm not letting her off the hook.

"You look me in the eye and tell me you're confused. That you're not sure how you feel about me. Better yet, you look me in the eye and tell me you feel more for Mateo than you do for me."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because you're forgetting one thing. At some point in this partnership, he's going to want more."

"If things do progress there then they do. Besides it's not like either of us will need "more". We'll always have the option to be with whoever we want. It's an open relationship."

"Open?" I pinch the bridge of my nose trying to ward off the headache that's screaming for attention in the back of my head. "What does that mean?"

"It means discretely we see who ever we want. As long as it stays outside of the house. But for all the social purposes, we are a family and we are home with each other every night."

I run my hand through my hair. "No. Fucking. Way!" I explode. "That's the most fucked up load of garbage I've ever heard."

"Why are you so upset?"

"Everything you just said tells me you’re making rash emotional decisions, which isn't a good thing ever but especially not when your hormones are out of whack."

"There's nothing "rash" about it. And it's how I grew up. My father didn't want me either."

"Do you hear what you’re saying? This isn't what you want." My pulse is racing so fast I'm starting to feel light headed. She's not doing this. It's not up for discussion. "I'm not your father, and I thought you wanted better for your kid."

She shakes her head. "No. It isn't what I want. But I don't really have a choice. You don't want it, and you left me."

"I made a fucking mistake! I'm here to rectify it." I answer in a harsh tone. "But I'll tell you one thing for sure. That prick is not the one you're going to wake up to in the morning. He's not going to read my baby bed time stories. And he can't possibly love you as much as I do."